jnoble

So I am rebuilding my deck while awaiting arrival of my KK.

This post is about cloth awnings above a KK. I want a cover over that part of my deck where I bbq. Does not have to be big, just enough to cover a KK and a small wooden cabinet that holds the necessary gear.

I think an awning would suffice, rather than constructing a full structure with a solid roof. And what I would REALLY like is to have a retractable cloth awning made from the same cloth that John Edwards is using to construct my KK cover.

But I have heard that the smoke and grease and ash may create a buildup on the cloth that you have to use on a retractable awning.

Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?

Thanks

John

awaiting his 23, 2.4 Metallic Bronze.

Re: New Tiles - Dark Bronze Metallic and A.N. replacement

I just ordered one, the 23 inch 2.4 dark bronze metallic. Fortunately, Vancouver Canada is not known for tons of sunshine, so fading should not be much of a concern. However, I am still going to get a sunbrella cover.

John

Man, I think I spent a year at least, on this forum, and researching and humming and hawing.

Finally, this week made the order with Dennis.

A full size 2.4, dark metallic bronze. I"m guessing arrival in August. I'm in Vancouver, Canada. Where there seems to be some excitement about some ice hockey games.

John Noble

Re: Buying 23 inch versus 19 inch

Excellent posts. I think the 23 inch is the one for me.

Thanks

Re: New Blue

Also, Dennis, I recall a quick post about stainless steel finishings on the tiles. There was a blue ish stainless that was jaw dropping. More money of course. Is that available?

Re: New Blue

Yup that's the deep dark very even Cobalt Blue..

Seriously a Home Run Color..

Wish I had a 500 boxes of that tile..

The Cobalt Blue is amazing, but I recently saw something, and can't track it down again on the web site. Something like shiny metallic bronze. It was out of stock, and had a premium price tag. An I ringing any bells?

Hello all.

I suspect this topic has been discussed before. But I am in pre purchase mode here. Comments would be appreciated on the 23inch versus the 19 inch.

I use webers and lump charcoal. I am currently using:

For smoking, a Traeger pellet smoker. For bbq, a weber WSM 18 inch (stoked). For grilling, a Weber 22 inch kettle.

So I have plenty of cooking space and cooking machines already. But what I want for that area of my house, is something beautiful and amazing and of course the KK is that. I don't really need a lot of cooking space, so I was thinking of the 19 inch. The difference in cost is not an issue.

But first, I want to make sure I'm not missing something. You know, I buy one and then someone says "but oh my god John, didn't you know that the 19 inch doesn't have the essential and wonderful third intenal fliperagidge thingie?"

That's what I'd like to know. If the 19 is all that the 23 inch is, except for a bit of a reduction in size, I'll get it. But is there an actual, real, difference?

Thanks in advance.

John, up in the pacific northwest.

Re: Dennis, More Pictures Please!!

Oooh, where is that photo of the Textured Classic?

Dennis

I hope your vision for this forum is realized and surpassed! Meanwhile, I want more pictures, either here, or on your site! I am TOTALLY just window-shopping, but the more I see, the more I like! Thanks for the pic you sent of the Textured Classic! I'm probably in the minority, but I prefer the look to the tiles. Amazing. Almost no seam. It's hard to describe outside of the term CLEAN. No prop tubes, no outside bands, just sleek! I showed it to a friend of mine, and he agreed; looks almost Batmobile-ish.

Anyhow, I'd like to see some close-up pics of the gasketing on the upper flue and the dome, so I can see how they fit together to produce that seal. I had seal problems with my K at the beginning, and I'd like to see how you've solved the problem.

Dennis, I know you HAVE to be cooking on one of these bad boys as well. How about some cooking photos with you and your KomodoK! Anyhow, great site, wanting to see this forum get hopping too! Thanks for putting up with my constant query-ing and requests for pics! I doubt I'll let up for awhile, unfortunately...

Re: BTW Foam has been cut for a KK Junior..

Hello Dennis. Hello all.

Any further news on this tempting piece of info:

BTW Foam has been cut for a KK Junior..

Re: World Spice - Ingredients, Ingredients, Ingredients...

They all have no salt so you can use Dave's brilliant weight your meat and then calculate your salt.. 0.6% is what I'm using.

Dave, can you tell me/us a bit more about what you mean here? do you mean that salt for the rub should be .6% of meat weight?

Just my dirty hands

I thought about a lump sorter too, and for a while used different tools to pick up and pour out the charcoal.

Then one day, I just used my bare hands.

Done it that way ever since. Easiest way to move around the old coals and shake out the ash, easiest way to pick up a double handful of lump and place it in exactly the right pile. And it sorts as my hands pick up just the right lumps.

And yes, after, hands are covered with soot. Fine. In bathroom, heel of hand pushes liquid soap, scrub before running the water, then water takes it all off in a few seconds.

The point is that I'm about to be handling food. So washing my hands now is a good thing anyway. Then I can go to start food handling with freshly washed hands. So I no longer care about handling charcoal. I like this way.

John

canada

Hi Tony.

I completely agree.

Buying in canada is no problem.

About your point with the BGE.

First, the BGE is a really good thing. I'm not knocking it.

But. The trouble with ceramic cookers is they are expensive to make. I am still saving up to buy mine, but the point, as you made, is that the competitors have poor fit and finish. That is because they are desporately trying to make ceramic bbqs that will sell to the standard bbq market, the people that expect to pay $500 for a bbq.

Dennis has realized that the ceramic bbq is a completely different creature. To make one that won't rust, have bits fall off and will look really good, will cost thousands. Even if made offshore. So he's just doing that and going for a different market.

Moving up from metal weber kettles to ceramic cookers is only done if one is a foodie with perfectionistic standards. Because metal kettles work just fine. And if you are one of those foodies, like all of us on this forum, you won't accept a ceramic bbq that is obviously cheaply made.

Before I found KK, I had a primo delivered. I returned it. If we are going to spend a significant amount of money, then dammnit, the machine should be made properly.

Some of us guys are just like that when it comes to our tools. It's not easy being us.

Cheers

John Noble

mold in kk

I also live in the pacific northwest. Dessicant works to keep things dry, but also, at marina stores, one can buy a super low watt "heater" that basically just keeps the air moving around. We stick a couple in our boats, but one in the kk would be good for the machine.

sorter

I find it's really about the quality of the charcoal in the first place.

I have been using Royal Oak, found at Canadian Tire in BC. Recently tried Komodo Joe charcoal, and wow, what an improvement. Large lumps and much less smaller, crumbly bits.

I also was thinking about sieves, but what I do now is easier. Dump the whole bag of good quality charcoal into a rubbermaid box, leave the box on the ground, and use a long handled shovel to scoop it up a load when I need some. That way, I get the good lumps and at the end, the ash and crumblies are left behind in the bottom of the rubbermaid box.

Eventually, the unused ash gets dumped into the metal can that holds spent ashes.

komodo coco charcoal in canada

Would love to buy some. In Vancouver, BC, Canada

ashes

Hello all.

I am replying to Dennis' query about putting a grate in the ash door, but this also relates to Dennis' suggestion about putting in a pipe in a hole in the bottom of the KK, to fascilitate ash removal.

imho, it comes down to that one little advantage that steel bbqs have. And I wonder if we can incorporate it into ceramic bbqs. Nobody has doen this yet.

The weber air inlet is that three bladed swivel that covers and uncovers three slots in the steel bottom of the charcoal kettle. It doubles as a great ash catcher, as opening and closing the inlet, simultaneously sweeps ash into a steel bucket hanging below.

We all know this system.

So the challenge is, can this system be used in a ceramic cooker? You need the tight tolerances of steel on steel. So it means making a hole in the ceramic. Well, we are already making a hole in the bottom of the ceramic for air intake now. The current hole allows for tight, steel on steel covers to be in place. Maybe the hole should be in the middle instead, for a weber style collection system. I doubt weber would have a patent on this system.

Looking forward to chats.

John Noble

ashes and safety

I could not agree more, with the last post about ashes and safety.

I have just had a fire in my compost bin. They said it's likely just the super hot summer we are having, and the grass getting tinder dry and combusting.

But I used to put ashes in the compost. Nope. Into a metal bucket they go, and the bucket sits on a concrete patio floor.

Seems to be the best for igniting charcoal.

Ideas, comments?

Anybody using one?

John N

I use a handheld propane torch to ignite my charcoal.

Beside my bbq, however, there is still the long hose and fitting that fed the natural gas from the house, to my weber genesis bbq.

I no longer use the gas bbq, and am thinking how convenient it would be to have my hand held starter and torch, just connected to this natural gas supply. It would reach long enough.

I know that natural gas burns a bit cooler than propane, but my main concerne is whether it's safe to run a different fuel through these starters. I also see they sell weed burners like the Red Dragon, mini dragon, which appear to be great for charcoal starting.

So. Any dangers or tech problems with running natural gas through a tube intended for propane use?

Thanks

John Noble

hand hammered copper. wow

Wow.

Seriously Dennis, is one of these going to be available? I'm not kidding.

And guys, what do you think? Should it be expoxied to preserve that copper look, or should it be allowed to patina?

Either way would be groovy.

John N

There must be many different ways.

Vacuum, brush etc.

Looking forward to the ideas.

John N

is there really a difference

HI Txpoker. Good question. Does the food taste better whether cooked on a KK or another ceramic?

I"m responding, not because I know, but because I suspect that the answer is that, this isn't the point.

Sounds crazy, but we are buying a tool. A cheap saw will still cut wood, but the handle won't feel exactly rigtht in your hand and the blade will rust more easily.

Same with this. I have been researching ceramic cookers for a long time. Last week I bought a Primo Junior.

These ceramic cookers are much more expensive than the steel weber charcoal kettles that we usually cook on.

So you want to know that you have a well made tool.

I am sure the Primo will make amazing food. But the fit and finish was not right, it did not feel secure on its footing, and I realized that I would have to replace the felt gasket and the cheap thermometer.

It just didn't make me happy.

So I called the dealership today and I am paying a truck return fee, and will be ordering one of these crazy expensive KK 23 inchers.

Yowza.

Never try to save money on your tools man. We can save money when the paper towels go on sale.

John Noble

Hello all.

I am getting closer to making the call and buying my first KK.

I am enjoying the research, and leaning toward a cobalt blue 23.

Dennis has been helpful of course.

I live in the pacific northwest. 49 years old, currently single. A sailor and a foodie.

In the patio at my office I keep a weber charcoal kettle and a Traeger smoker. I use the weber to please the staff on Friday afternoons when we chill with a snack and a glass of wine. I use the Traeger for serious smoking, like making my own bacon and so forth.

And in the patio at home I still have my old Weber Genesis 1000, plumbed into the natural gas of the house. I almost never use it now. I keep it out of affection, like that childhood bike you keep for memory's sake.

And guess what I did today. I called the store and told them to return the Primo Junior that I bought last week. After a year of research, I somehow never found out about KK. I discovered KK just after buying the Primo.

Just not happy with the Primo. Never fired it up, but the fit and finish is just not there. If I am paying thousands of dollars, the fit and finish and art, all have to be there.

It's hard being a perfectionist. But the occasional flights of joy are worth it.

Looking forward to community with all of you.

John Noble